Odisha court grants 10-day custody of iCore group directors

The CBI on Monday got 10-day custody of iCore group directors accused of cheating thousands of investors with over Rs 4,000 core through a ponzi scheme, an official said here.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had sought the custody of the Kolkata-based accused officials — Anukul Maity and his wife Kanika Maity, for further probe.

“Anukul and Kanika were presented before the special CBI court in Bhubaneswar on Monday. The court granted CBI to take them in its custody for 10 days,” a CBI official said.

Both Anukul and Kanika, were arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal police in 2015.

The CBI took over the case in 2015 and registered case under sections of cheating and criminal conspiracy of Indian Penal Code following Supreme Court’s May 9, 2014 order.

The iCore group is alleged of raising huge deposits from the investors under its investment schemes by fraudulently promising very high returns and later refused to repay them.

The company, which ran Ponzi schemes till the middle of 2013, is said to have collected at least Rs 4,000 crore. Notably, the company started operations in West Bengal around 2007-2008, and in A short span of time, extended its business in nearly 12 states across the country.

In sheer size, iCore is far bigger than the Saradha scam that has rocked the country by collecting about Rs 2,500 crore from investors through its Ponzi schemes. (IANS)